Mike Cammalleri
| birth_place = Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada | draft = 49th overall | draft_year = 2001 | draft_team = Los Angeles Kings | career_start = 2002 }} Mike Cammalleri (born Michael A. Cammalleri on June 8, 1982) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and an alternate captain of the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was a second round selection (49th overall) of the Los Angeles Kings at the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. Mike made his NHL debut with the Kings in 2002 and scored the first regular season goal ever scored in a game played in Europe in 2007. After playing with Calgary for one season in 2008–09, Mike moved on to the Montreal Canadiens, with whom he scored the 20,000th goal in franchise history in 2009 and tied a franchise record for goals in one playoff series in 2010. He returned to the Flames in 2012 following an unusual transaction in which he was traded in the middle of a game. Representing Canada internationally on four occasions, he won bronze and silver medals at the 2001 and 2002 World Junior Championships respectively. Mike was named the tournament's best forward in 2002. Mike won a gold medal at the 2007 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. An all-star in college and the American Hockey League, he played in the Cold War, an outdoor game that set a then world attendance record in 2001. Mike has also been recognized for his involvement in charitable efforts supporting children and the military. Playing Career University of Michigan Mike joined the Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey program in 1999, scoring 13 goals in 39 games as a freshman. He led the team with 29 goals as a sophomore in 2000–01, and was named a first-team Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) all-star. Michigan reached the 2001 Frozen Four where it lost the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) semi-final game to Boston College. Mike was also voted to the NCAA west second All-American team The Los Angeles Kings selected Mike in the second round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft (49th overall). He chose to remain in college, rejoining a much-younger Wolverines team as an alternate captain and expected to be the team's offensive leader. Early in the season, on October 1, 2001, Mike played in the "Cold War" against Michigan State, an outdoor game that set a then-world record attendance for a hockey game at 74,554 fans. Though he nearly missed the game due to a hip-flexor injury, he figured in all three of Michigan's goals as the game ended in a 3–3 draw. With 23 goals and 44 points in 29 games, Mike led the Wolverines to the CCHA conference championship in 2001–02. He was named a CCHA second team all-star and an NCAA first team All-American. At the West Regional tournament, he was named both an all-star at forward and the most valuable player as he led Michigan back to the Frozen Four. The Wolverines again lost the national semifinal, this time to the University of Minnesota. Los Angeles Kings Mike chose to forgo his senior year of eligibility, signing a contract with the Kings ahead of the 2002–03 NHL season. He attended Kings' training camp, but failed to make the roster and was assigned to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League (AHL). On November 7, 2002, Mike scored 14 points in nine games and earned his first recall to Los Angeles. He made his NHL debut the following night against the Ottawa Senators and earned his first point, an assist, in a 3–2 victory. On November 16, 2002, Mike scored his first NHL goal against Tommy Salo of the Edmonton Oilers. He was demoted and recalled by the Kings twice more during the season and appeared in a total of 28 NHL games, scoring 8 points in addition to 20 points in 13 games in the AHL before his season was ended on January 28, 2003 when he suffered a concussion in a game against the San Jose Sharks. Once again, Mike bounced between the Kings and the Monarchs throughout the 2003–04 season, while a labour dispute in the NHL resulted in his spending the entire 2004–05 season in Manchester. He opened the season with 20 goals in his first 22 games en route to a league leading and franchise record setting total of 46. Mike's total of 109 points (also a Monarchs record) was second in the AHL behind Jason Spezza's 117. He was voted a starter in the 2005 AHL All-Star Game, named to the second All-Star team and received the Willie Marshall Award for leading the league in goals. Returning to Los Angeles in 2005–06, Mike established himself as an NHL regular, appearing in 80 games with the Kings and leading the team with 26 goals. He improved to 34 goals and 80 points in 2006–07 and was voted the recipient of the Bill Libby Memorial Award as the Kings' most valuable player by the local media. Mike and the Kings were unable to agree on a new contract following the season. He was asking for $6-million per season while the team offered $2.6 million. The two sides went to arbitration where he was awarded a two-year contract that paid him $3.1 million then $3.6 million. The Kings opened the season in London, England for the first regular season games played in Europe in league history. Mike scored two goals, including the first ever in Europe, in a 4–1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on September 29, 2007. Mike opened the season with ten goals in ten games before a protracted offensive slump and rib injury that forced him out of lineup for a month resulted in only nine more goals scored over the remainder of the season. Calgary Flames & Montreal Canadiens Mike was involved in trade rumours following his arbitration hearing which was considered contentious. At the 2008 NHL Entry Draft held on June 20, 2008, he was dealt to the Calgary Flames as part of a three-way trade. The Kings received Anaheim's first round pick (12th overall) and a second round pick from Calgary while the Ducks received Calgary's first round pick, 17th overall, and Los Angeles' 28th overall selection. Paired with Jarome Iginla, Mike had a career year with the Flames in 2008–09, leading the team with 39 goals and finishing second to Iginla with 82 points. On November 27, 2008, he scored the 100th goal of his career as part of his first hat trick early in a 4–3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Faced with salary cap constraints, the Flames were unable to re-sign Mike following the season. He left Calgary to sign a five-year, $30 million contract with the Montreal Canadiens. Midway through the 2009–10 season, Mike scored the 20,000th goal in Montreal franchise history on December 28, 2009 against the Ottawa Senators. A knee injury resulted in him missing six weeks of play, but he finished the season with 50 points in 65 games. Following a series victory over the Washington Capitals in the first round of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Mike led the Canadiens into the conference finals for the first time since 1993 by tying a franchise record for goals in one series in a victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. His total of seven tied the mark held jointly by Maurice Richard, Jean Beliveau, Bernie Geoffrion, Guy Lafleur and Marcel Bonin. Montreal lost their third-round series to the Philadelphia Flyers, but Mike's 13 goals led all playoff scorers despite the fact Montreal failed to reach the final. Mike began the 2010–11 season on the suspended list after earning a one-game ban for a slashing incident against Nino Niederreiter during a pre-season game against the New York Islanders. Then, he missed a month of play when he suffered a separated shoulder after being crosschecked into the boards by Buffalo's Mike Weber. Mike returned to action in time to appear in his second outdoor game, the 2011 Heritage Classic against Calgary. Opening the 2011–12 season, Mike scored the first NHL regular season goal at the MTS Centre as Montreal spoiled the debut of the new Winnipeg Jets franchise with a 5–1 victory. However, he had to leave the game after suffering a cut on his leg from the skate blade of teammate Yannick Weber. Mike struggled throughout the first part of the season. With the team also losing, was booed by the fans in Montreal during a 3–0 defeat against the St. Louis Blues. Following the game, he expressed his frustration, quoted as saying: "I can't accept that we will display a losing attitude as we're doing this year. We prepare for our games like losers. We play like losers. So it's no wonder why we lose." The commentary sparked controversy, while the Montreal Gazette suggested later that the comments (originally spoken in English) were misrepresented after they were translated to French by "Réseau des sports" and then translated back to English. Two nights later on January 12, 2012, Mike was pulled from the Montreal lineup during their game against the Boston Bruins after the team completed a trade that saw him return to Calgary along with the rights to goaltender Karri Ramo and a fifth round draft pick in exchange for Rene Bourque, prospect Patrick Holland and a second round draft pick. The circumstances of the deal, described as "bizarre" by the media, stunned Mike's former teammates, none of whom could recall a player being dealt mid-game before. In Mike's re-debut with the Flames, he scored a goal, but Calgary lost 4–1 to Los Angeles. On February 13, 2013, Mike scored his 200th goal again while completing a hat trick, against the Dallas Stars. Career Statistics International Statistics Awards & Achievements Junior Hockey Awards *OPJHL Rookie of the Year (1997–98) *OPJHL All-Star (1998–99) College Hockey Awards *All-CCHA First Team (2000-01) *NCAA West Second All-American Team (2000-01) *All-CCHA Second Team (2001-02) *NCAA West First All-American Team (2001-02) AHL Awards *Second Team All-Star (2004–05) *Willie Marshall Award (2004–05) International Awards *IIHF World U20 Championship Tournament All-Star (2002) *IIHF World U20 Championship Best Forward (2002) Team Awards Bill Libby Memorial Award *LA: Kings' most valuable player (2006–07) Jean Béliveau Trophy *Mtl: "Leadership qualities in the community" (2010–11) International Play }} Mike made his international debut in 2000, joining the Canadian junior team at the 2001 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He had four goals and six points in seven games for Canada, who won the bronze medal. Mike returned the following year, leading Canada to a silver medal. He led the 2002 tournament in scoring with 7 goals and 11 points and was named the tournament's top forward. He made his debut with the senior team at the 2006 World Championships where he scored one goal and five points in eight games for the fourth place Canadians. Mike returned for the 2007 tournament in Moscow where his seven points helped Canada win the gold medal with a perfect 9–0 record. Playing Style Though he stands five feet, nine inches tall, Mike's teammates have argued his small stature is not a drawback. While attending Michigan, his teammate Craig Murray said that "a lot of people look at his size and they hold it against him, but there"s no one stronger out there." On the ice, Mike says he tries to play bigger than his opponents. Mike's coach at Michigan, Red Berenson agreed. He stated that he played like he was "6-foot-4" with the puck and could beat any opponent one-on-one. The Hockey News rates Mike's offensive skills and intelligence on the ice as his greatest strength, but notes that he can be inconsistent away from the puck. He is a natural goal scorer and is capable of playing at either centre or on the wing. Injuries have been a concern for Mike. His time in Montreal were marked by both shoulder and knee problems. Personal Life Mike was raised in a secular household (he describes his upbringing as "non-denominational"). His parents are Leo (who is of Sicilian Catholic descent) and Ruth (who is Jewish). He has a sister named Melanie. Mike's maternal grandparents (from Poland and Czechoslovakia) were Holocaust survivors and the family has remained extremely close which he considers a defining personal trait. Mike's best sport as a youth was soccer while he also played baseball and golf. His passion was hockey. He played most of his minor hockey with the Toronto Red Wings organization of the Greater Toronto Hockey League. He was selected by the St. Michael's Majors in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Priority Draft, but he chose not to play in the OHL so as to preserve his American college eligibility. Instead, Mike joined the Junior A Bramalea Blues of the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League (OPJHL) where he was named the league's rookie of the year as a 15-year old in 1997–98. He was named an all-star the following season and was selected as the Ontario Hockey Association's top draft prospect after scoring 103 points in 41 games. When he was 15 years old, Mike committed to attend the University of Michigan on a full hockey scholarship. He took an accelerated course schedule and graduated from The Country Day School in King City, Ontario when he was 17 years old. Then, Mike moved on to Michigan where he studied sports management and communications. Mike and his girlfriend Jennifer have a daughter (born in 2011). The couple have been involved in numerous charitable endeavours since Cammalleri joined the NHL. He has focused on children's charities, supporting the Starlight Children's Foundation, World Vision and the SickKids Foundation in Toronto among others. During his time in Montreal, he also supported the military via his "Cammy's Heroes" program. Mike bought tickets for Quebec's soldiers and their families to attend Canadiens games, meeting with them prior to each game. In recognition of his service, the Canadiens named Mike the 2010–11 recipient of the Jean Beliveau Trophy, a team award given annually to the player who "best exemplifies leadership qualities in the community." Category:1982 births Category:Los Angeles Kings draft picks Category:Los Angeles Kings players Category:Montreal Canadiens players Category:Calgary Flames players